International Women’s Day around the world

8 maart 2012 As International Women’s Day is being celebrated around the world, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the ways in which poetry has and still does form a valuable mode of expression for women (and men) everywhere. American Beat poet Allen Ginsberg once said that poetry “is not an expression of the party line. It’s that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does”. As true as this is, there is no denying the political power that even the most intimate poetry can have, and today many countries fittingly took the opportunity to showcase some of the contributions women are making to poetry and the arts.

In London, the Southbank Centre is hosting its second Women of the World Festival, a “five-day extravaganza” of poetry, film, comedy, music, and more. The Huffington Post has also posted an exclusive video of London slam poet Bridget Minamore performing her poem ‘Hypocrites And Double Ds’.

Across the world in Pakistan, writers, poets and human rights activists came together at a special seminar in Karachi, at which they discussed ways to empower and stimulate women both creatively and intellectually. In the capitol city of Islamabad, the Nomad Gallery is hosting a special exhibition of female artists from the area, who have “captured women's imaginations” with their art much as local poets Habib Jalandhari and Kishwar Naheed have done with their poems. A small radio station in Rawalpindi is even organising a poetry competition.

These are just two of the many countries organising special events to commemorate the day. The Guardian has posted an interactive map on which 11 women from around the world share their thoughts on what we should be celebrating this year. If you’re looking for more, the sun may have already set on International Women's Day in Europe, but in other parts of the world, celebrations will continue for many hours to come.